New Hampshire's Ebuka Okorie Makes NBA Draft History with No. 17

When Ebuka Okorie walked across the stage at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026, he didn't just hear his name called, he made history.

The Nashua, New Hampshire native was selected 17th overall by the Detroit Pistons, becoming just the second player from the Granite State ever drafted into the NBA. The first was Matt Bonner, a Concord native taken in the second round back in 2003. Okorie didn't just reach the first round, he did it after a single crazy amazing season at Stanford.

A son of Nigerian immigrants, Okorie had a winding road to the draft. He originally committed to Harvard, then transferred to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire before enrolling at Stanford on no high major offers. His thank-you to the coaching staff upon declaring said it plainly: "You took a chance on a kid from New Hampshire."

That kid repaid the faith immediately. As a true freshman, Okorie averaged 23.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, led the ACC in scoring, and finished seventh nationally. He broke the ACC freshman scoring record, dropped 40 points on Georgia Tech, and recorded eight 30-point games in a single season, another conference freshman record. Comparisons to Kemba Walker and Isaiah Thomas followed quickly.

Detroit saw enough to trade up four spots and give up three second-round picks to land him. Now the kid from Nashua heads to the Motor City, carrying a state's worth of pride with him.

That's amazing. Congrats to you Ebuka. We'll be watching!